subject: Beware Of Jury Scam [print this page] According to the FBI, jury scams have been around for years. What happens is that a person will call you, informing you that you have missed jury duty, and then asks for personal information to prevent you from getting arrested. But if you give the conman what he wants, you could lose your identity.
The scam happens when the victim alleges that they never got summoned for jury duty. The scam artist will answer that they need to verify that and make sure they are talking to the right person. And for this they will use your social security number and birth date.
This scam is very old but as the recession gets worse, a great deal of scammers seem to be to making their way out of the woodwork. Emails alert unsuspecting victims that their number is being dispersed to telemarketers, and that they have to call a number to be put on the government's "do not call" registry. When a victim calls, they are asked for information and even a fee to be put on the list.
Identity thieves are very good at piecing a puzzle together in order to create an identity out of yours. What happens when someone is legitimately being called for jury duty summons is that you fill out a qualifying questionnaire. Then the courthouse will mail you a summons if you have been selected. Typically, a summons is sent out a couple of weeks before the month that they will serve on jury duty. This has been procedure for twenty years at the least, and there are obviously no plans to change it.
People legitimately calling you about jury duty will never ask for a birth date or a social security number. It is crucial that if you aren't sure if you are being scammed or not, always verify what they are saying and not give into them, no matter how aggressive. It will be worth it in the long run.
